Leadership, unexpectedly for many, despite a mediocre performance, was seized by Italians Barbara Fusar-Poli\Maurizio Margaglio, who returned to amateur sports on the eve of the Olympics. Having received the highest scores, they themselves were sincerely surprised. Could it really be that to get gold, it is enough to be the host of the Games?

It is not excluded that the Italians specifically brought back their country's best pair in history, which failed to win the previous Olympics in Salt Lake City. Back then they took third place.

Now the Italians have received a chance for revenge among the duets that never reached the level of past leaders like Anissina\Peizerat or Grishchuk\Platov.

In addition, the Italians suggested to the International Skating Federation a way out of how not to give the Russians all the gold in this event and to remain with "clean" hands.

After all, even fans of Russian figure skating admit that last year's world champions and leaders among pairs Tatyana Navka\Roman Kostomarov are not in their best shape to unequivocally contend for gold.

Currently the Russians occupy second position. Third are Bulgarians Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski. The eternal rivals of our Grushyna and Goncharov even skipped the European Championship in order to approach the Olympics in their best shape.

Fourth place went to Canadians Dubreuil\Lauzon, who at the previous world championship were in eighth place, significantly losing in class both to the Ukrainian pair and to the Americans Tanith Belbin\Benjamin Agosto.

The Americans, who according to forecasts were supposed to compete with the Russians and Ukrainians for gold, are now only sixth, a few hundredths of a point behind the Ukrainians.

Another pair that returned from the professionals and demonstrates excellent skating, Lithuanians Drobiazko\Vanagas, are only eighth.

However, there is great hope that the next two dances will change today's alignment. The Italians with their current skating do not pull toward gold at all, and if the judges pull them there, the scandal will be no less than in Salt Lake City, when they could not divide the medals in pairs skating.

And then the Figure Skating Federation should be closed altogether for complete chaos in judging.

Results after the original dance

1 FUSAR POLI Barbara / MARGAGLIO Maurizio ITA 38.78

2 NAVKA Tatiana / KOSTOMAROV Roman RUS 38.20

3 DENKOVA Albena / STAVISKI Maxim 3 37.65

4 DUBREUIL Marie-France / LAUZON Patrice CAN 37.44

5 GRUSHINA Elena / GONCHAROV Ruslan UKR 37.39

6 BELBIN Tanith / AGOSTO Benjamin USA 37.36 ------------------------------------------------- 23 GOLOVINA Julia / VOIKO Oleg UKR 23.88

A total of 24 pairs competed